EXTENSION TOOL FOR HELPING A USER REMOVE OR PUT ON FOOTWEAR
Described is an extension tool for manipulating a component of an item of footwear such as a zipper or heel loop to help with removing the item or putting on the item of footwear. The extension tool includes an extension defining a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and an extension axis. There is a handle at the first end of the extension and an interactive element at the second end of the extension. The interactive element includes a main projection forming an obtuse angle to the extension axis which is provided for engaging the component of the item of footwear for pushing or pulling the component. The user grasps the handle and manipulates the interactive element to push or pull the component of the shoe to help with removing the item of footwear or putting on the item of footwear.
The present specification relates generally to footwear, and more specifically relates to footwear fasteners and associated tools.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONFootwear is widely recognized as an important personal possession used daily by many people. For many footwear users, their use of footwear also serves important fashion and social functions. The quantity and range of footwear available for purchase in the marketplace is huge. In addition to variation reflective of quality, dimensions, and intended use, much variety is provided to satisfy individual preferences with regard to such aspects as color, design, and material.
Many items of footwear incorporate laces as a means of closing the items of footwear to assist in holding the footwear securely around a foot. Some people have difficulty using laces or related closing features. For example, many young children have not yet learned to tie laces, many people may have trouble tying laces due to age-related decline, illness, injury, the effects of medication, developmental disabilities, or physical disabilities.
People who have difficulty with laces and related closing features and tools may accordingly lose access to a great number of potential footwear selections, and may find themselves limited to a comparatively small selection from which to satisfy their needs and desires. This may be particularly true for casual and athletic footwear, which are generally manufactured in a lace-up configuration and which may not function as well when in a non-lace-up configuration such as a slip-on, front-zipper, or Velcro™ configuration.
Many people may also find the act of bending down to hold, pull, or push a component of a footwear item when putting on or taking off the footwear item uncomfortable, difficult or otherwise undesirable. In some cases, some degree of bending may be acceptable, while in other cases the user may wish to avoid bending as much as possible.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improvements in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided an extension tool for manipulating a component of an item of footwear, comprising an extension defining a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and an extension axis; a grip at the first end of the extension; and an interactive element at the second end of the extension, the interactive element including a main projection forming an obtuse angle to the extension axis and provided for engaging the component of the item of footwear for pushing or pulling the component, the interactive element configured to be deployed by a user grasping the grip to push or pull the component of the shoe while removing the item of footwear or putting on the item of footwear.
Other aspects and features according to the present application will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, embodiments of the invention, and how they may be carried into effect, and in which:
Like reference numerals indicate like or corresponding elements in the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTSReferring now to
Shoe fastener 10 also includes a tape 24, which is a fabric that holds or is secured to elements of zipper clasp 22. Shoe fastener 10 may accordingly be viewed as a fabric, namely tape 24, incorporating a central zipper clasp 22. In some embodiments, zipper clasp 22 may run the length of fastener 10 such that tape 24 can be separated into two strips of tape, while in some embodiments a bottom end of zipper clasp 22 may not be operable, and in some embodiments zipper clasp 22 may terminate some distance from a bottom edge of tape 24 and may be separated from the bottom edge by a width of fabric. A fully separable tape 24 may be desirable where a user wishes to more fully open a pair of shoes, while a closed bottom end of zipper clasp 22 may make the use of fastener 10 less complicated or more durable or user friendly. As shown in the figures, tape 24 has a tape width 26 on either side of zipper clasp 22, which may be measured to include the width of the teeth 16 as in
According to an embodiment, shoe fastener 10 further includes a plurality of eyelets 28 in tape 24. Eyelets are small holes, usually round, and may be finished along the edge, as in cloth or leather or metal or plastic. Eyelets are provided for the passage of a lace or cord, In the embodiment of
According to an embodiment as shown in
Shoe fastener 10 may be sized and shaped to be substantially similar to the size and shape of the particular shoe 30, or general type of shoes 30, with which fastener 10 is to be used. In particular, there may be the same number of tape eyelets 28 as shoe eyelets 34, and the spacing of tape eyelets 28 from one another may be substantially similar to a spacing of shoe eyelets 34 from one another. In this way each tape eyelet 28 may be positioned substantially adjacent to its corresponding shoe eyelet 34.
In shoe fastener 10 of
The spacing of tape eyelets 28 may be selected and oriented in two directions: spacing between eyelets on the same side of zipper clasp 22, and spacing between corresponding eyelets on opposing sides of zipper clasp 22. For example, the spacing between eyelets 28A1 and 28A2, and the spacing between eyelets 28A1 and 28B1.
It is to be appreciated when viewing these figures that the relative spacing between adjacent tape eyelets 28 on either side of zipper clasp 22 is substantially similar to that between adjacent eyelets 34 on shoe 30. For example, the spacing between tape eyelets 28A1 to 28A2 and that between shoe eyelets 34A1 and 34A2. Similarly, the separation distance between tape eyelets on opposing sides of zipper clasp 22, i.e. 28A1-28B1., 28A2-28B2, 28A3-28B3, and 28A4-28B4, is substantially similar to the separation distance between corresponding shoe eyelets, i.e. 34A1-34B1, 34A2-34B2, 34A3-34B3, and 34A4-34B4. For example, the separation distance 37 between tape eyelets 28A3 and 28B3 is substantially similar to separation distance 37 between shoe eyelets 34A3 and 34B3, as shown in respective
The spacing between eyelets of fastener 10 will usually be in keeping with standard shoe configurations, which may mean unequal or irregular spacing depending on the shoe 30. For example, the shoes 30 shown in
Accordingly, it is to be appreciated that when designing shoe fastener 10, tape width 26 of tape 24 is sized and shaped to accommodate the size, number, and spacing of tape eyelets 28. In particular, tape width 26 is sized and shaped so that separation distance 37 between tape eyelets 28 on opposing sides of zipper clasp 22 is substantially similar to separation distance 37 between corresponding shoe eyelets 34 on opposing sides of upper 32.
The diameter of tape eyelets 28 is substantially similar to the diameter of shoe eyelets 34, and further is sufficiently large to accommodate the thickness of laces used with shoe 30, with which fastener 10 is to be used.
In a conventional pair of shoes 30 there is provided a pair of laces, i.e. two laces 35, one for each shoe. Each lace 35 is threaded through all shoe eyelets 34 of shoe 30, crisscrossing between eyelets 34 on either side of upper 32.
According to an embodiment, a pair of shoe fasteners 10 for use with a pair of shoes 30 may use two pairs of modified laces 36 each, or four laces 36 in total for a set of two shoes. Laces 36 may be substantially similar to laces 35 but modified to each fasten one side of a shoe upper 32 to one side of a fastener 10 rather than to fasten one side of a shoe upper 32 to the other side of the shoe upper 32. Accordingly, each pair of two laces 36 may be used with each shoe 30, to secure shoe fastener 10 to shoe 30. Each lace 36 may be threaded through tape eyelets 28 and shoe eyelets 34 on one side of zipper clasp 22 and upper 32 only, rather than employing one lace per shoe in a criss-cross configuration.
As shown in
Many conventional shoelaces include an aglet at each end of each lace. The aglet is a stiff section at the end provided primarily to increase the durability of the end and to make it easier to hold the lace and feed it through the shoe eyelets. According to an embodiment, lace 36 may have an aglet 38 at one end and a stop 40 at the other or opposing end, or termination point, of the lace, rather then having an aglet at each end. Stop 40 may be any type of material, item or structure that is sufficiently large and firm that it is difficult to pass through shoe eyelet 34 and/or tape eyelet 28. Stop 40 may be, for example, a knot 42 formed from the free end or termination point of lace 36, or a hard-spherical bead 44 with a central bore into which the free end of lace 36 may be inserted and glued, or a spherical bead formed on the end of lace 36 or some other stop. In these examples, the knot and spherical bead are sized and shaped to be at least as large as the open diameter of shoe eyelet 34 and/or tape eyelet 28.
Shoe fastener 10 may include or not include a set of extra laces 36. When laces 36 are included, there would be two pairs or four individual laces 36. Each lace 36 would have a stop 40 at one end and be sufficiently thin so that the other free end may be passed or threaded through tape eyelets 28. Each lace 36 would also be sufficiently long to thread through tape eyelets 28 of fastener 10 on a side of zipper clasp 22, and through corresponding shoe eyelets 34 on a corresponding side of upper 32. For example, each lace 36 provided with shoe fastener 10 of
In some embodiments, only a subset of the eyelets of a shoe will be utilized in fastening fastener 10 to a shoe. For example, it may be convenient to manufacture one or more standard sizes of fasteners, such as large, medium and small sized fasteners, which may have dimensions and eyelet configurations designed to match average shoe dimensions and eyelet configurations. The use of laces to secure fasteners to shoes allows for some flexibility in aligning eyelets of fasteners and eyelets of shoes.
When laces 36 are not included with shoe fastener 10, the regular laces 35 provided with the shoe may be used. For example, in some embodiments regular laces 35 are cut at around their midpoint, and the free or terminal end so formed in each resultant segment may be tied into a knot 42 or otherwise attached to an appropriate item like spherical bead 44 to form stop 40. In this way, conventional laces 35 may be converted to laces 36 sized and shaped for use with shoe fastener 10.
Tape 24 of shoe fastener 10 may be a fabric made from a soft, pliant and flexible material. This material may include, for example, cloth or canvas fabrics, or a layer of other material such as leather or moulded plastic or rubber.
Shoe fastener 10 is a zipper type fastener that, unlike zippers of the prior art, is not stitched or otherwise fixedly attached to a shoe. Since shoe fastener 10 uses laces 36 threaded through eyelets 28 and 34 to attach to shoe 30, fastener 10 is removable since laces 36 may be unthreaded at any time.
Zipper clasp 22 may be a one-stage or a two-stage type. In a one-stage type the bottom of fastener 10 does not come apart, and in a two-stage type the bottom of fastener 10 may also be opened to allow the tape to be opened into two unconnected sections, as one may open the bottom of a zipper on a jacket. A benefit of the two-stage type is that it may be easier for a user to remove their foot from shoe 30 after the zipper is separated, as the tongue of shoe 30 can be raised higher. From an aesthetic perspective, it also provides a different style to the user.
Shoe fastener 10 may also be provided with shoes 30 as part of a shoe fastener kit 46. According to an embodiment, and as shown in
Tape 24 of shoe fastener 10 provided with kit 46 may be sized and shaped so that separation distance 37 between tape eyelets 28 on opposing sides of zipper clasp 22 is the same as or substantially similar to separation distance 37 between shoe eyelets 34 on opposing sides of upper 32 of shoe 30 provided with shoe fastener kit 46. The number of tape eyelets 28 in fastener 10 may be the same as the number of shoe eyelets 34 in shoe 30. The spacing of tape eyelets 28 in fastener 10 from one another may be the same or substantially similar to the spacing of shoe eyelets 34 from one another in shoe 30.
According to an embodiment, and as shown in
It is to be appreciated that a user of shoe fastener kit 46 would have the option to select whether to wear shoes 30 as a lace-up with the provided regular laces 35, or alternatively insert fastener 10 and use shoes 30 with zipper clasp 22. In the embodiment of
A further aspect of shoe fastener kit 46 is that, in addition to fastener 10 and laces 36 being sized and shaped to fit the particular shoe 30, tape 24 of fastener 10 may be comprised of the same material as upper 32 of shoe 30. This material may be soft, pliant, and flexible. Alternatively, if not exactly the same material, the material of tape 24 may have the same thickness, colour, style, and/or pattern as the material of upper 32. It is to be appreciated that, since in kit 46 the particular shoe 30 to be used with fastener 10 is known, the material of tape 24 may be selected to have a complementary or aesthetically pleasing look, composition, or combination of features when used as an insert with the particular shoe 30 in kit 46.
According to an embodiment, and as shown in
Shoe fastener 10 in this embodiment may be inserted adjacent to the upper 32 of shoe 30. Laces 36 may be threaded through shoe eyelets 34 and fastener eyelets 28 in extension element 48 to secure fastener 10 to shoe 30, upon which shoe 30 may be fastened and unfastened by operating zipper clasp 22.
A user interested in having a zipper enclosure for a lace-up shoe may obtain shoe fastener 10 as an insert or as part of a kit 46. As an insert, shoe fastener 10 may be designed specifically for use with a particular shoe 30, or for a more general type of shoe 30. As a kit, shoe fastener 10 will be designed specifically for use with shoe 30 provided in the kit.
Upon selection, the user may remove laces 35 that are part of lace-up shoe 30, and insert shoe fastener 10 by placing fastener 10 adjacent to the upper 32 of the shoe, so that tape eyelets 28 are adjacent to shoe eyelets 34. The user will thread laces 36 through eyelets 28 and 34, securing fastener 10 to shoe 30. Laces 36 may either be provided with fastener 10 or as part of kit 46, or may be made by the user from laces 35 by cutting laces 35 and tying the free end to form stop 40, or may be provided separately. When inserted and secured to shoe 30, zipper clasp 22 may be used to fasten and unfasten shoes 30.
In the prior art, eyelets are located in thick leather material attached to another fabric. By contrast, the tape of shoe fastener 10 is made of a flexible material, and the eyelets 28 are located in the tape itself. In this way, shoe fastener 10 is integral and one-piece with zipper clasp 22. This design provides better flexibility, durability, and comfort to the user, particularly for a casual type of shoe 30.
People such as the elderly, the disabled, young children, and others unable to tie shoes will no longer be restricted to the tiny market of shoes that do not use laces. Shoe fastener 10 provides these groups of people the opportunity to select from the endless number of lace-up shoes, and use them with zipper fasteners. Since shoe fastener 10 is removable, young children and others who may have only a temporary problem using laces can use the zippers provided by fastener 10, and then go back to laces when they are ready. This is economically efficient, since it enables these users to preserve their investment in lace-up shoes as they do not have to purchase new shoes.
Tools may also be provided for use with footwear, to allow users of the tools to more easily reach components on footwear they are wearing. Such tools may incorporate an extension incorporating a grip on one end, to allow users to grasp the grip and manipulate relatively distant components using the footwear interaction end of the extension opposite the grip. In some embodiments, the grip may be a handle clearly differentiable from the extension, however in some embodiments the grip may simply be a part of the extension provided opposite the interaction end of the extension to be gripped by a user.
In some embodiments, an extension tool may be provided to mitigate bending; to enable a user to avoid bending all the way down when reaching a shoe. For example, such embodiments may be between one and three feet in total length. In some embodiments, an extension tool may be provided to avoid the need for a user to bend at all. For example, such embodiments may be between three and five feet in total length.
The tool may also include an interactive element on the extension opposite the handle, to more easily enable the user to manipulate a component or to more easily enable the tool to engage a footwear component. The interactive element is a projection extending away from the axis of the extension at an obtuse angle. In some embodiments, the extension is perpendicular to the axis of the extension, or close to perpendicular.
In some embodiments the extension may be of variable length, such as telescopic, while in other embodiments the extension may have a fixed length. In some embodiments in which the handle is separate from the extension and of a greater diameter, the extension can be folded or collapsed into the handle.
In some embodiments in which the grip is a separate handle, the handle may be adjustable relative to the extension, to allow a user to adjust the orientation of the handle relative to the extension or relative the projection of the interactive element for a more convenient and effective manipulation of a footwear component. Such adjustments may include rotating the handle about the axis of the extension and rotating the angle of the handle relative to the axis of the extension. Such a tool may also be designed to be easily and conveniently stored, such as by incorporating a hook or clip or other hanging element, such as a hanging element secured to the handle, to allow the tool to be easily hung up when not in use. In embodiments incorporating a clip, the clip may be provided for use in clipping the extension tool to a pocket or other environmental element. A clip may be particularly preferred in some embodiments in which the extension can be collapsed or folded into the grip or a handle.
In some embodiments, telescopic portions of a telescopic extension may be held relative to one another so that a user may choose a desired length of the telescopic tool and may subsequently use the tool to push or pull on a footwear component without loss of the desired length setting. Such a hold may be a friction hold or may be a result of structural components, such as mechanical or magnetic elements provided on the tool. In some embodiments, structural locking elements may include pop-out studs biased in an expanded position and corresponding to openings in the telescopic components of the extension such that when the tool is extended to the designated open length, or one of the designated open lengths, the pop-out studs are extended through the openings to hold the telescopic components of the extension relative to one another. In some embodiments in which a telescoping structure includes a locking feature, the tool also includes one or more buttons to enable a user to disengage the locking feature. A disengaging button or buttons may be provided as part of a locking mechanism, for example a disengaging button may mechanically disengage a pop-out stud to allow the extension to be collapsed.
Telescopic extension 1320 includes an interaction element on the end opposite the handle, the interaction element provided to allow a user to more easily manipulate a zipper using tool 1300. As depicted, the interaction element is a rigid v-shaped projection 1330, including a first projection 1331 extending parallel to the body of extension 1320 and a second projection 1332 extending perpendicular to the body of extension 1320. Projection 1330 allows a user to deploy second projection 1332 as a hook, while first projection 1331 acts as a support for the material manipulated by second projection 1332.
Handle 1310 includes a hook or projection 1340 provided to allow the tool to be hung up, such as to allow tool 1300 to be hung up in an entry way or other convenient location.
An extension tool similar to tool 1300 is depicted in
Another embodiment of an extension tool is shown in
A straight projection having no curve between the mid-length of the projection and the outer point of the projection may make disengaging the projection from a shoe component easier for a user. For example, a user employing tool 1600 to draw up a zipper may wish to easily disengage the tool from the zipper when the zipper has been drawn up. Similarly, a user may wish to easily disengage the tool after employing tool 1600 to engage a loop provided on the heel of a shoe, such as to engage the loop to allow the user to draw the heel of the shoe over a heel of the user.
A projection such as projection 1611 may extend a short distance out from the axis of the extension, such as extending less than ¼ cm or less than ½ cm or less than 1 cm out from the axis of the extension.
Interactive element 1610 includes a root 1613 extending from extension 1630 along the axis of extension 1630, with the projection 1611 and the root 1613 forming a roughly perpendicular angle and joined by a curved elbow. However, in some embodiments the angle between the projection and the root may be greater or less than 90 degrees depending on the desired ease of use, for example a greater angle may make intentional disengagement easier and a lesser angle may make unintentional disengagement more difficult. Additionally, the length to which the curved elbow extends out towards the full extension of the projection may be varied, such as to ensure that there is no curve in the projection between a point mid-length from the root and the most distant point.
Tool 1600 also includes a clip 1640. Clip 1640 may be used to hang the tool, such as to hang the tool from a user's shirt or pants pocket in much the way a pen clip may be used to hang a pen from the wall of a shirt or pants pocket. Particularly in embodiments in which the extension can be collapsed against or into the handle, a clip may enable a user to easily, securely, or conveniently retain the tool on their person or in a storage area. For example, in some embodiments similar to tool 1600, a handle similar to handle 1620 may include a cavity, and a telescoping extension similar to extension 1630 may be collapsible into the cavity such that a projection of an interactive element may rest against or even be moved inside the handle.
Interactive element 1610 only includes a single projection, extending obtuse to the axis of the extension. As second projection cooperating with the first may not be necessary in some embodiments, particularly in some embodiments primarily provided for use in pulling up a component of a shoe. While a cooperating second projection may be used in some embodiments as a brace for the first projection, in other embodiments the extension or another component of the extension tool may be used instead, or no brace may be needed.
A further embodiment of an extension tool is shown in
An example of a piece of footwear is shown in
In some embodiments, the tool is made of plastic, metal, wood, or similar material(s). For example, an extension and an interactive element may be formed of a strong and rigid material such as aluminum, while a grip is formed of a semi-malleable plastic allowing the user to grip the tool securely. in some embodiments, the interactive element may be formed of a metal coated with a softer material having a higher abrasion resistance. For example, a rubber coated aluminum or steel projection may enable a user to more easily engage a heel loop without substantial risk that the projection will break off, tear or puncture the heel loop, or slide out of the heel loop.
In particular, many running or walking shoes and many boots incorporate a heel loop. An extension tool may enable a user to avoid needing to reach down to their shoes at all when removing or putting on their shoes, regardless of whether the shoes are laced or zipped provided the laces are pre-tied.
An extension tool may also be used in cooperation with another tool, such as a shoehorn; for example, a shoehorn could be used to facilitate a heel of a shoe being passed over a heel of the user while an extension tool is used to pull up a tongue of the shoe so that the user does not find themselves in a position in which the shoe is on but the tongue of the shoe has been pushed into the shoe along with their foot.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Certain adaptations and modifications of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the presently discussed embodiments are considered to be illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.
Claims
1. An extension tool for manipulating a component of an item of footwear, comprising:
- an extension defining a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and an extension axis;
- a grip at the first end of the extension; and
- an interactive element at the second end of the extension, the interactive element including a main projection forming an obtuse angle to the extension axis and provided for engaging the component of the item of footwear for pushing or pulling the component, the interactive element configured to be deployed by a user grasping the grip to push or pull the component of the shoe while removing the item of footwear or putting on the item of footwear.
2. The extension tool of claim 1, wherein the extension is a telescoping extension movable between a collapsed configuration and at least one extended configuration.
3. The extension tool of claim 2, wherein the extension incorporates a locking mechanism to hold the extension in the at least one extended configuration.
4. The extension tool of claim 3, wherein the locking mechanism includes a release toggle to release the locking mechanism.
5. The extension tool of claim 3, wherein the locking mechanism is one of a magnetic locking mechanism and a button locking mechanism.
6. The extension tool of claim 1, wherein the extension tool further includes a hanging element for use in hanging up the extension tool.
7. The extension tool of claim 6, wherein the hanging element is a clip.
8. The extension tool of claim 1, wherein the interactive element further includes a support projection for supporting the main projection.
9. The extension tool of claim 8, wherein the support projection is parallel to the extension axis.
10. The extension tool of claim 9, wherein the support projection is in line with the extension axis.
11. The extension tool of claim 8, wherein the support projection is parallel to the extension axis and the main projection is perpendicular to the extension axis.
12. The extension tool of claim 1, wherein the main projection defines a main projection end, the main projection end located a main projection length from the extension axis.
13. The extension tool of claim 12, wherein the main projection is straight along an extent between the main projection end and a midpoint.
14. The extension tool of claim 13, wherein the midpoint is at least a third of the main projection length from the main projection end.
15. The extension tool of claim 12, wherein the main projection length is at least a quarter centimetre.
16. The extension tool of claim 1, wherein the grip is a handle.
17. The extension tool of claim 16, wherein the handle has at least one degree of freedom relative to the extension.
18. The extension tool of claim 17, wherein the handle is free to rotate about the extension axis relative to the main projection.
19. The extension tool of claim 17, wherein the handle is free to rotate relative the extension axis.
20. The extension tool of claim 1, wherein the grip defines a cavity, and the extension is configured to be collapsed or folded into the cavity.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 14, 2018
Publication Date: Sep 26, 2019
Inventor: Hagop Zoulamian (Barrie)
Application Number: 16/159,668